40 oz to Freedom

[Anastasia Rade]

"Would there be something wrong with that?" She grinned as she took a hold of his arm as they made their way to the restaurant to get a bite to eat. A little distance wouldn't be too bad as it would give her a chance to get to know him even further as she had a feeling that she was just scratching the surface. She was pretty sure that there would be more kissing later on again.

It wasn't long before the hostess led them to their seats in the mostly crowded dinning room. Once they had taken their seats he handed them both a menu before leaving them to go back to his hosting duties. While waiting for a waiter to appear Ana opened the menu to see what looked good to her. She didn't often go to fancy establishments like this but never failed to find something she liked on the menu. When it came to food, Ana wasn't a picky eater in the slightest. Different types of food had been a wonderful discover for her and she really liked to eat.

"What do you think looks good?" She questioned peeking over her menu at him. "The steak looks really good but so does the Sausage Tortelloni. I'm not sure what to get." She hadn't even looked at the drink menu yet but she was thinking maybe they could share a bottle of wine. It didn't matter to her though. She was having a wonderful time tonight here with him.


[member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

" I don't think there is anything wrong with it at all." He replied as they were taken to an empty table. The dining portion of the casino was crowded as usual, the food was said to be some of the best you could get on Alderaan, one of the many reasons Orick had chosen the place. He smiled as he was handed a menu and glanced up at [member="Anastasia Rade"] as she began to browse the options. He sat there and just watched her for a few moments, her eyes focused on the menu and not him, allowing him to see all of the little details of her face. He hadn't even bothered to look down at what the food options were, all he did was just stare at her and smile. The small distance of a table between them had only highlighted how lovely she looked, the lighting was a bit brighter in the dining hall and all it did was allow him a better look at her beauty.

He chuckled as she tried to decide what to order, " Why not get both? You can pick at both plates and then take whatever is left back to the base with you, tomorrow you can finish whatever you have left." He knew she would probably not do that, in his experience, woman of any species were worried about their image and no one liked to think they were eating too much. However she had managed to surprise him with how different she was from anyone else he had ever met, so donig something different here wouldn't really be that surprising.

 

[Anastasia Rade]

"That's actually a good idea. I can have the steak for dinner and the pasta for breakfast." She would just go and get an extra run in either later tonight or tomorrow. Ana didn't know as she wasn't sure how the rest of the evening was going to pan out. She was sure he had duties and the like to attend to tomorrow. Ana didn't know how long she had before he was sent back in the sky with his ship. Perhaps he could take her up there. She would like to see what he commanded.

Unless Ana was called back she had her freedom to stay here with him if he wished and by the way he was looking for her and not the menu Ana had a feeling he would wish she stayed.

Before she was able to ask a Firrerreo waiter walked up to their table. "Can I get you something to drink?" Ana's gaze went from the waiter to Orick and back again. She had no clue so Ana would wing it. "A bottle of your best wine and two glasses for now. We are still looking at the menu." The waiter nodded and left them for the moment to return later she was pretty sure.

After he left Ana set the menu down and smiled at him. "You can't let me eat alone especially since I'm getting something for later." She would wait until after they ordered to ask other questions.

[member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

He chuckled at the thought of her eating her leftovers for breakfast, he usually waited until lunch to eat his, mostly because he didn't spend a lot of time on breakfast, a quick snack and he was usually going. She looked like the type of woman that could eat anything and not gain a pound, mostly because he couldn't see a place on her frame now where any extra weight was. He finally noticed that he was staring at her and quickly began to look through the menu.

He had some of the food here before and he wasn't as concerned about trying anything new because the special part of the evening was sitting across from him. A basic steak was probably on the docket for the evening. He heard her order the wine and smiled, she wasn't afraid to take charge of the moment, which was nice, he wasn't a fan of women that needed someone there to make decisions for them. He wanted an equal in all things, someone that could lead when they wanted/needed to.

He finally looked up at her as she finished talking, " I have every intention of ordering a steak, Ruuto's cooks them to perfection. I wouldn't pass up the chance for a good steak." As he finished saying that the waiter arrived with the bottle of wine and two glasses. He poured a small amount in one glass and handed it to Orick, who took a sip and nodded.

With the nod, the waiter filed both glasses up and pulled out his small data pad, " Have you two decided what you would like to order?"

Orick nodded, " We have, I'll have the steak, cook it rare for me, oh and that green salad with those beets from Naboo." He looked to [member="Anastasia Rade"], " That salad is something else."

 

[Anastasia Rade]

"I'll have a rare steak and I'll try that salad as well. Can I get the Sausage Tortelloni to go for later as well?" She spoke as she watched the waiter right everything down. Since he was raving about the salad Ana thought she might as well try it too. She did enjoy trying new things at least once.

After the waiter left them to go put in the order Ana picked up her drink to take a sip of the wine. Normally she drank something stronger but this wasn't too bad. "When I take you to Mandalore, I'll cook you dinner" She smiled at him as she set the glass back down. Ana had picked up cooking as something to do when she couldn't sleep. It had kept her mind occupied but now it was of something she liked to do. She liked the idea of now cooking for him. The trick would be figuring out what to make.

Instead of worrying about when she may be able to see him again Ana just wanted to enjoy the now with him. Make the evening last as long as she could until he had to go.

"What has been your favorite planet thus far out of all those you have visited? Is there anywhere you haven't gone but would like to?" Her brother had allowed her to do a bit of exploring on her own but Ana knew that there were so many other planets out there that she hadn't visited. She was guessing with his history as a smuggler that he had traveled around a bit. He may not have heroic tales but perhaps there was a specific planet he had enjoyed going to.

[member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

He smiled as she ordered the salad as well, he really did like the salad a lot, and he knew she would as well. He was enjoying the wine that she had picked, he really wasn't one for heavy drinking, he was always too worried about being stuck in a jam and being too drunk to get out of it. He wasn't worried about that tonight, tonight he was only worrying about how to get her to want to go out with him again.

He liked the idea of her cooking for him, but he wasn't really worried about what they did, he just wanted to spend time with her. " You cook too? Is there anything you don't know how to do?" he said, knowing that it was a bit cheesy to ask like that, but she was bringing out all of the cheesy lines that he knew of.

Thinking about her question made him a bit sad, he did have a couple of favorite planets, but they also held bad memories as well. Some of them he wasn't really ready to share with her. He looked off into the casino a bit as he answered, " Dac was a beautiful place. It's an ocean world mostly, lots of Mon Cal's there. Dantooine is a great place too, lots of grasslands and open spaces." He smiled at her as he answered the last question. " That's easy, Mandolore. I know this fantastic woman that lives there that I have been dying to take on a date. " He knew it was silly, but he really did want to see Mandolore, he wanted to see how she lived, and meet her friends, and brother.

He took another sip of his wine and tilted his head a bit, " What about you? What's your favorite planet, and where do you want to go?"

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

"I make some to die for chocolate chip cookies," she grinned at him. The cookies of course were not the only goodies she baked but in her opinion they were the best thing she made. Ana wondered a little if he liked baked such things but than again who didn't? She would need to sneakily find out from his crew what his favorite was and bake him a batch or something.

Ana could only shake her head and smile when he said he wanted to go to Mandalore. She had never heard anybody say that unless they were a Mandalorian and unless you were one you could kiss your chances of going there goodbye. It was heavily guarded and they didn't just let anybody land. "Oh really? I have heard she would be delighted to show you around. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself there. I'll take you to the capital but I have found quieter little towns." Ana didn't live in the city herself as she liked her space, peace and quiet but she lived close enough to go there as she wished.

She paused to think about the questions he was posing to her. Ana had been to Dantooine before when it was under Mandalorian rule and could agree it was a beautiful place. "Mandalore is a beautiful place but beyond that I enjoyed the forests of Endor. They were very peaceful and calming just like Yavin. Naboo is very beautiful with rolling hills and plains. I can see why people live there. As for where I would like to go, it would be off to a seclude beach. I could rent a cottage by the beach and just relax for a few weeks. A beach resort would be fun too I reckon." Shopping was fun but if she really had to pick it to be the beach. Her last visit to one had been quite fun.

"Do you live here or the capital? I imagine though that you spend most of your time on your ship."

[member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

"I love cookies, of every kind," He said as she mentioned chocolate chip cookies. He really had wanted to go to Mandolore, even if this night hadn't turned into what it had become, he really wanted to learn more about his new allies. His interest in Mandolore had only increased as he got to know her more. He wanted to know about her culture, the things that had shaped her view of the galaxy. " I completely trust your judgement on what's worth seeing."

He had heard of Endor, seriously who hadn't, but there wasn't much reason for him to go there. His 'job' wasn't the type that allowed him a lot of leisure time to explore the galaxy. He spent a lot of time traveling between Hutt worlds and any place other that he could manage to get jobs for. He had spent years doing little between traveling and working. He had been to Naboo, and it was one of the most beautiful places he had ever been to. He even had business contacts on Naboo, but he had some interesting tines there in the past and he wasn't excited about going back. If she wanted to go there, he wouldn't hesitate to take her there, he just had to remember the places he wanted to avoid.

As she asked about his living situation the salads arrived, the two bowels were filled with a luscious green salad topped with many different colorful fruit slices. Some if the fruits were obviously exotic and even Orick didn't know where all of them came from. But it was one of the reasons he came to Ruuto's. "I don't have a place I live. I own nothing but my ship and my gear. I've never stayed in any one place long enough to actually own a place to stay, hotels are where I usually stay when I'm ground-side. Now that I am back in the Republic navy, I have another ship to sleep in, and quarters when I am on a planet. " He started in on his salad and smiled her way again, hopnig that she was enjoying the salad as well.

" I know your family has a holding of some sort, what is it like?"

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

She would have to plan a good trip for him to Mandalore. One in which he could see a little bit of everything that they had to offer. Ana wanted to take him to her cottage and show him around only because she knew that he would be interested in seeing where she personally lived. There were so many places to see Ana may actually have to write out a list and not just keep it in her head. She wanted to teach him more about the culture while showing him a good time.

Ana had to imagine that not having a home or anything to call your own had to be lonely. She now could see why his ship was so very important to him. Ana guessed that his crew could kind of be considered like family which would make things less lonely? Still even at that it seemed it seemed as if it was him against the Galaxy. He had nothing to come home to even when he did get on planet. As the salads were placed in front of them the thought of make him a care package of sorts filled with cookies and other baked goodies for him to take on his ship. If she could manage it perhaps it could even be a surprise waiting for him in his quarters. Cookies brought a smile to everyone's face and it would remind him someone was thinking of him.

Taking a bite of the salad she pondered how to answer his question. "The Skirata clan has most of their holding on Mandalore but there are members scattered about Mandalorian territory. We like to keep close ties with what is going on with our brethren so that is party why we are scattered. Mandalore has desert type terrain but at the same time forestry areas which stretch as far as the eye can see. I call a little cottage in the forest home. We all are neighbors and help each other out just as you think a clan would. We are the closest with Clan Ordo which has many farmers. They actually helped me out with the garden I keep outside my home. I'll have to show you it when you come."

She paused taking another bite of her salad. "This is a really good salad." She smiled taking another bite of the salad. "Can I see your ship?" Since he seemed to spend all his time on it she was curious as to what it looked like.

[member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

He listened to her explain about her clan and how it was organized, it sounded like a normal family would operate but on a much bigger scale. " I have heard that you can become a Mandolorian without being born into it, you're an obvious example of this. How exactly does that work?" He was curious as to how one became a Mandolorian besides being born one. Will me not being one hurt my chances of a long term relationship with her?

He really hoped that she would show him the small cottage in the forest, it sounded almost exactly like his dream, something out of the way and quiet, but not so far out as to be a hermit. " I think it's interesting how there is this tribal feel to your culture. It seems like it would only be really effective, but you guys are a major power in the galaxy simply by not giving up the things that have gotten you to where you are today."

She finally asked the question that he was waiting for her to ask, not that he was afraid of her asking it, but it was just a matter of time before she did. The Aimless Ranger was an old freighter when he had bought her, and all he had done was add more miles to her already long history. She was a great ship and had done everything he had ever asked her to do, but she was never going to be the bell of the ball. She was large and she flew like a wounded Mynock, but she always got the job done. " I'd be happy to show you the old girl, but you have to understand that she's been in service for a long time, and she's not the most advanced or newest design around. When would you like to have a loot at her?" He was hoping to get a chance to show her before either of them had to depart Alderaan, mostly because he wanted another reason to see[member="Anastasia Rade"] again. Face it Orick, that's the only reason you need. His thoughts finished what his words wouldn't.

 

[Anastasia Rade]

She hadn't been born a Mandalorian but the way Ana acted most couldn't really tell the difference. Nobody cared anyway, family was more than blood. Her parents had died when she had been three years old so the Mandalorians really were the only family Ana knew. "There are a couple different ways you can join or become a Mandalorian. I was adopted into the clan by Azrael as his younger sister. Azrael was actually adopted into the clan himself by his predecessor. Besides that you can join of your own free will but that doesn't happen often. Lastly, you can marry into the Mandalorians which happens a lot. I see the guys I hang out with at the cantina as buddies not potential mates. Weddings are also different than the rest of the galaxy in that there is no big ceremony just a simple vow said between the couple with a witness. There is always a party afterwards with lots of drinking which are are always fun. I believe it would be called a reception but it's less tame than the normal one." Ana finished as she took a bite of the salad. The Manda'lor himself had found someone outside the culture so Ana wasn't worried in the slightest.

It didn't matter to her that his ship had seen better days and wasn't a new fancy design. "That doesn't matter to me," she smiled shaking her head slightly. "I want to see it because it's yours and that makes it special." Seeing the new fangled thing the Republic gave him would be nice but it wasn't his and it looked like all their other ships. His ship was one he had lived on for years and probably what he considered home.

His second question brought up something she had been avoiding though she knew it would come up. Ana didn't know when he would have to leave or when she would have the chance to see him again. She knew he had responsiblies and Ana wouldn't dream of taking him away from such. "I don't have any pressing matters to attend to at home in the near future so I guess it depends. When are you leaving Alderaan?" How much longer did she have with him until orders sent him away? More importantly when would he return. She either way planned to keep in touch with him.

[member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

He was just finishing his salad as she was describing the ways that one could become part of her culture. He found it fascinating that, as long as you could play nice with the Mando's, they would tolerate you and if you worked at it, you could even get accepted. The fact that Manda'lor was originally an outsider make him think that maybe he wouldn't be skinned alive for asking to date his sister. He smiled a bit at the no nonsense approach to weddings, to him they were all ceremony and wasted effort. Commitment was about just that, committing. There was no need to spend money on lavish examples of your love, if you did love someone then all you needed to do was show it.

" How about I give you the grand tour of the Ranger tomorrow." He didn't have anything on his schedule, but she might be stuck doing more tours and handshaking with the politicians. If she was free he would love to spend more time with her, it wasn't like his taking her on a tour wasn't doing the same thing that they would do, the only difference is that he was sure she would enjoy it more. " I mean, if you're not busy with anything else." He smiled as he said the last part.

He was about elaborate a bit more when the waiter returned with their steaks. Each plate held a large steaming steak topped with spices and covered in a savory brown gravy, a heaping pile of vegetables sat next to the steak, a kaleidoscope of colors covering the rest of the plate. As the Firrerreo placed the plates on the table, he quickly took the salads away and smiled, " Is there anything else that you require?" He said politely.

Orick nodded at the food, " I think we are find for now, thank you though." He turned back to [member="Anastasia Rade"] as the waiter walked off. " As I was saying I won't be leaving until I at very least give you a tour of my ship." His smile matched the way that he felt, and he hoped that she would understand that he wasn't leaving without spending more time with her.

 

[Anastasia Rade]

Today was supposed to have been her last day but she could easily add on another night on at the hotel. She wasn't going to miss the chance to spend more time with [member="Orick T'ane"] . She would make sure that before he left he had her comm number so that they could keep in touch as she was quite sure that he would wish to do the same.

"Tomorrow works perfectly. I look forward to the grand tour of Ranger," she smiled as she picked up her fork and knife to cut a piece of steak before taking a bite. Ana had plenty of tours of the new ships the Republic had and what was up and coming. She had of course acted like she was super interested in all of the things the senators were putting together. It amused her the way they acted as if their bills were the real reason the Republic was safe but she knew how to play the game. The tour with him she imagined to be much more fun. If she was lucky enough and she asked really nicely she imagined he may even take her for a spin in it.

The thought of being able to spend more time with him before he left brought a smile to her face. "When you do come back we'll have to go on that date." She smiled at him taking another bite of her steak. It was a less direct way of confirming that she did want to see more of him when he came back. She was having a wonderful time here with him tonight and wanted more. Ana wasn't in any formal military but she understood and got orders herself that would take her away from home. It could be difficult to maintain relationships but not if one was willing to work at it. Anything worth having took work and she wanted him. She couldn't remember the last time she had such a good time or smiled so much. Ana felt comfortable around him as if she could tell him anything.

 

[Orick T'ane]

He was trying to hide the smile on his face behind the food he was eating and he knew he was failing miserably. However he had gained a few hours to try to make the ship look at least a bit presentable. He wasn't ever worried about how it looked when it was only him, but making an impression on her was important to him. " Wonderful" Was all he said in reply, he kept eating to keep from spewing more cheesy lines at her. He knew that they had passed beyond the need for sappy goofball likes to get her to smiles or laugh. she was doing plenty of that on her own as it was.

Her acceptance of his date was the icing on his proverbial cake, he was as excited about that as he was about seeing her tomorrow. " If I take too long to get back, I might have to just get lost and end up on Mandolore. not that that happens often with navigation the way it is." This had indeed turned into one of the best days he could remember, he was having a great meal, with the perfect date, and it seemed they would be doing it a couple more times.

"You know, I do have one question, and I apologize ahead of time for asking it, but the chance to find out makes me just too curious to leave it alone." He put down his knife and fork and thought about how to best ask the question without getting her upset. " I have heard rumors that there is another Manda'lor out there, somewhere out beyond your territory, claiming that he's the true leader of the Mandolorians." He wanted to be careful with this part, mostly because of who she was related to. "I am sure that your brother is the actual Malda'lor, but what's the deal with this other guy?"

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

She couldn't help but giggle as she imagined a big Republic ship getting "lost" within Mandalorian space. If he was looking to get attention from the Manda'lor that would most definitely do the trick but probably not in the way he wanted. She didn't need her brother to approve of anyone she dated but Ana did want him to like [member="Orick T'ane"] as it just would make things easier. You taking a little longer just means I have more time to find the prefect dress." Ana could tell now that she would miss him while he was away. He had completely turned around what could have been a dull visit to the Republic and brightened up her evening. Ana was excited about their date, if she could call it that, tomorrow.

Taking a sip of her wine she took another bite of her food as she listened to his next question. The whole fake Mandalore thing had put them all in an uproar as of late. It blatantly made fun of what they all held near to their heart. She couldn't blame him for being curious about what the Primeval was doing. "I don't know," she sighed shaking her head as she reached for the wine once more. "I think it's just to make pointed jabs at us and to attempt to cause chaos within the ranks. The Primeval is trying to start a war and it will only be a matter of time till they get it. They will find out the hard way nobody messes with the real Mandalorians and gets away with it. The whole thing is an insult to our culture. " The whole issue made her blood boil that someone would go after her family this way especially Azrael. Going around telling the galaxy that he wasn't the true Mandalorian was heresy.

"What have you heard about all of this?" She knew her opinion was somewhat jaded and she was curious as to what the galaxy thought. "What are the rumors? I'm curious."

 

[Orick T'ane]

He thought about her shopping for a new dress and was almost upset that he would miss the experience of watching her smile as she shopped. But the moment he finally saw the new dress he knew it would be worth the wait. " You're right, but I would be a fool to make you wait for too long. I might come back and you may have lost interest in me" He teased slightly, knowing from the looks and the kiss that he had gotten that there was very little chance of that happening. he had a feeling that he would be seeing a lot of time along the border with the Sith, and seeing as how her people were fighting along a different front, they would be about as far apart as they could be and still remain in the galaxy.

He had heard about the Primeval, they were some weird cult or something like that, and it made total sense that they would decide to try a trick with the Mandolorians. if they could get Mando's fighting each other, then it would make it easier to win after the fighting was over, because the winner would be weaker as a whole. He knew that it was a an underhanded trick, but if it went off then the Primeval would gain a lot from it. " I haven't heard much, except there is talk of that other guy being the true Manda'lor. there aren't a lot of people that are giving it much credibility, but there's always a few that are taking ti to heart. Some people have given it a long hard look though. There have been the usual extremist that have believed it, those are the ones thinking we have allied with the wrong Mando's." He shrugged and finished his glass of wine, " There will always be people like that."

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

She felt something more in that kiss than just a couple fun days together. She believed that he had as well from the way he couldn't stop smiling at looking at her. He had these blue dreamy eyes that she could just look into for hours. She was having trouble not melting in her seat but somehow she was keeping herself in check. Don't worry, I'll be here when you return." How could she forget him after the night the they had? It had been more than what she could have asked for.

They would both go off and fight in their wars and when they got home they had this date to look forward to. The idea of coming home to get whisked away off on a romantic evening in a pretty dress on his arm sounded really nice. A chance to catch up and enjoy each other's company. Ana couldn't help but smile as she thought about it. Perhaps she would even be able to show him around Mandalore are that time too.

"I try not to pay any attention to extremists. It is nearly impossibly to change their mind on anything and not really worth my time. I'm just happy that nobody really has fallen for that act. I have heard that many of those with Primeval are also with One Sith another target of ours. I have heard that is who the Republic is going after." They were not friends with the Sith for very personal reasons and that war would be for personal reasons. It seemed war was all around them. It made her wonder if there would ever be a time for peace really just to breath like this.

"I have been jabbering on all night about my family. I know you said your parents were dead but do you have any siblings?" She knew the past and family could be a sore subject. He hadn't talked about siblings but that didn't mean he didn't have any. Ana had been one of the lucky ones who had been taken under the wing of a Mandalorian who saw the potential within her.

Her father had been an Imperial Grand Moff while her Mother had been an Imperial agent. It got them dead and her family scattered. Her brothers thought she was weak and abandoned her.
[member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

He knew what her answer would be even before she replied. She would wait for him, it shone like a billboard in her eyes, but he would do his best to be available as often as he could, if not more. Now more than ever he wished his superiors were smart enough to cement this alliance and get the two forces fighting together, then perhaps he wouldn't have to worry about when he would see her again.

He had seen first hand what Sith planets could look like, and how much pain and suffering they could dole out. He didn't think the Republic would be as aggressive with their battle with the Sith, but he knew that they wouldn't give any ground either. With the Mando's fighting the Primeval and the Republic fighting the Sith, both governments were basically back to back against the two forces. He had heard rumors that the Sith and the Primeval were allies in there fight against everyone else, he wondered what would happen if they eventually did win out, there can be only one true winner in the end and one of them had to bow to the other.

" I've heard the same thing, it is said that many in the Primeval are Sith acolytes, which makes me think that we are fighting a two pronged attack by the Sith. We are preparing for war against the One Sith, but I'm not sure how much we would pursue it. The Republic isn't like your Mandolorians, we have a lot of paperwork and red tape to get approved before we do anything, and then the senate has to vote to allow us to go to war. It's a long and tedious process, one that I really hate."

He sighed a bit as she asked about his family again, it was such an incomplete memory in his mind that he hardly spent much time on it anymore. " I don't think I do. When I was left in the care of my aunt on Corellia, I was an only child. I never saw my parents again after that, but I heard they were killed in some 'thing' out in space," He shrugged as he said it," If they had another child at that point I don't honestly know, but if they did the little one probably ended up the same way as my parents." He had long ago come to terms about how the galaxy was and his acceptance of his parent's death. The events on Corellia had cemented his belief that the galaxy didn't give two cares about anyone.

" I really don't have a family left to talk about, and it's rather grim to think about. So while we may talk about you more than me, It's a much better story and I like seeing the happiness shining in your eyes when you do." He poured himself another glass of wine and sat back in his chair, hoping that his gruff assesment of his family wouldn't scare [member="Anastasia Rade"] away.

 

[Anastasia Rade]

By the time the Senate approved it would be too late. The Sith and whatever else they chose to ally themselves with would be at the Republic's door. It would be a wonder if they were allowed to defend themselves without approval first from people who probably cringed at the site of blood. Not only that they were dragging their feet on the whole Mandalorian thing. She doubted that they would put up with the red tape for much longer.

That would make seeing him harder but if it came to that she would work through it than. It was not something right now she wanted to think about. Deal with things as they came to pass.

"Does the Republic let you do anything on your own? I wouldn't be surprised if the Senate regulated how often you got to go to the bathroom." She sighed shaking her head. The last statement was meant as a joke but Ana wouldn't be surprised to find it wasn't one. Hearing all of this made her glad the Mando's didn't have a senate. The mess they could have when clan leaders got together was enough for them.

She frowned a little as he talked about his non-existent family. If Ana didn't have the clan she would be lost and lonely. She knew how he must be feeling and that had to be terrible. As a slave Ana had often felt that way, It seemed that he had come to terms with it though. She felt bad for making him have to relive such grim memories.

All of her stories were not filled with rainbow and sunshine. Ana just chose to leave the grim ones in the past where they belonged. She had faced her fears and wanted to move forward.

"What would you say to dessert? We could stay here and get something or I know this diner close to my hotel which has pie and chocolate cake. What do you think?" Even though she knew that she would be seeing him tomorrow Ana didn't want this evening with [member="Orick T'ane"] to end.

 

[Orick T'ane]

He wondered if in fact the senate monitored how often they went to the bathroom. It wouldn't surprise him of they did. He had often wondered if the senate had some super secret spy agency keeping tabs on their own personnel. Which only made him sad thinking about how much more could be done to combat the Sith with those assets. he laughed lightly at her joke, " I'm sure they do, if not they probably keep track of how long it takes us to go. There's a report for everything these days." It was true, it took hours to fill out simple paperwork for a vacation, especially the higher up you got in command. there always had to be a way to get in touch with you in case of an emergency.

[member="Anastasia Rade"]'s offer of desert at a small diner sounded perfect, The big showy casino was great to impress her and to take her dancing, but the small places with great food were the kinds of things that really mattered. Small intimate places where they were close enough to nearly kiss from across the table. " that idea sounds lovely, Ana. I am a sucker for a good cake." He loved baked goods, especially when they were fresh. He was glad she wanted to keep this night going, it was the best night he had in a very long tine and he wanted to keep it gonig for as long as she would let it. He knew that she was a warrior and a good one, but tonight she was a stunning beauty. " I'm also a sucker for keeping a pretty lady happy."